Water-closet.



No. 793,352. PATENTED JUNE 2'7, 1905. A. CIOLFI.

WATER CLOSET.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. s. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

if E b WITNEEEEE.

11m/ENTER No. 793,352. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905. A. GIOLFI.

WATER ULOSET.

APPLIOATION I'ILBD PEB. 6,1904.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNEEEEE Ilm/ENTER @7i-9( @e #Qu/aum., C6595.;

UNITED STATES Patented June 27, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

ANTONINO CIOLFI, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN SPECIALTY COMPANY, OE CLEVELAND, OHIO, A C(V)RPOI{ATION.

WATE'R-CLOSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,352, dated June 2'7, 1905.

Application filed February 6, 1904. Serial No. 192,274.

To r1.7/ w/mm/ if muy concern:

Be it known that I, ANTONINO CIoLEI, a subliect of the King of Italy, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in IVater-Closets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingl drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of water-closets, and has for its object the construction of a closet which shall embody therewith means for continuously isolating the waste-pipe or sewer from the air of the house, which shall provide for etfectually dumping and iiushing the bowl, and which shall provide for the disinfecting of the air and the contents of the bowl by the.

employment of electricity or by means of a chemical disinfccting agent.

Generally speaking, the invention may be defined as consisting of the combinations of elements, for the purposes specified, set forth in the claims hereto annexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I represents a central vertical section through aeloset embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a similar sectional view, the section being' at right angles to Fig. I. Fig. 3 represents an end elevation, parts being broken away to show the mechanism Vfor dumping, flushing, and electrically disinfecting the bowl.

Describing the parts by letters, A represents the closet, said closet consisting of a metal casing n, having at the upper portion a groove n', in which rests a corresponding iiange on the seat B. This metal casing incloses the bowl and accessories, with the exception of the side shown at the right hand of Fig. I, where the casing is omitted and a removable plate C substituted therefor in order to provide convenient means for obtaining access to the bowl and its operating mechanism.

An annular channel ffl is provided in the upper portion of the casing for the reception and supply of water for flushing the bowl. The inner wall of the casing is frusto-conical in shape, tapering downward and upward toward the bowl. rithin the casing u there is fitted, as by cementing, an envelop or casing o D, preferablyofglass. As shown inthe d rai ings, this envelop is generally of the shape of a rectangular prism and is fitted in a corresponding recess in the metal casing fr. One side (Z ofthis envelop or casing D may be removably fitted to the rest of the casing, whereby access may be had to the bowl proper within said casing. The casing D is provided with oppositely-arranged frusto-conical inner walls forming continuations of the corresponding 6o walls of the outershell a and tapering toward the bowl E. The lower frusto-conical passage communicates with the ordinary wastepipe.

lYithin the casing D is thc bowl E. This bowl is of glass, which is polished externally and internally to prevent the formation of small pores or cells within which germ-laden matter may accumulate. The inner surface of the envelop or casing D is similarly pol- 7o ished, and a coating` of carbolated vaseline or similar germicidal lubricant may be interposed between the bowl E and such casing D.

As shown in Figs. I and Q, the bowl is a valve, preferably cylindrical in shape, having a large internal chamber c therein for the reception of the feces. The lowest portions of the upper periphery of the chamber e are, as shown in Fig. 2, overhang by the inclined wall of the casing D thereabove, said wall So forming a continuation of the frusto-conical inner wall of the casing a. The bowl is provided with trunnions c c2, by which it is pivoted in corresponding recesses in the casing D. As will be observed 'from an inspection 85 of Fig. 2, the distance Yfrom either 0f the 0pposite lowest portions of the upper periphery of the chamber to the upper periphery of the frusto-conical wall in the lower portion of the casing D is greater than the distance from 9o either of such portions of the periphery of the chamber e to the opposite inclined upper wall of said casing D, thereby insuring that communication between the inlet and outlet of said casing is at all times cutoff bythe valve or bowl E.

hlounted on the trunnions c is a pinion (f3. This pinion is in mesh with a sector-rack F,

which is mounted on an operating-shaft f, to which is secured the operating-lever f'. In the preferable embodiment of my vinvention the respective lengths of the radii of said rack and pinion are such that a movement of the lever and rack through an arc of sixty degrees will cause the pinion and associated bowl to make a complete revolution, and the movement of the lever from the position shown in Fig. 3 to a vertical position, through an angle of thirty degrees, will be suiiicient to turn the bowl one-half revolution and place it in an inverted position so that it may freely empty the contents into the dischargepipe and sewer.

In order to automatically iush the bowl by the operation of the dumping-lever f/, I employ the following construction: G represents an inlet-pipe for water, said pipe leading' to the vertical pipe or duct g, communicating with the chamber Z2 in the top of the casing. Within the duct g and adapted to slide across the mouth of the pipe Gr is the cylindrical valve g, said valve being provided with an opening g2, adapted to register with the pipe G. Connected to the bottom of the valve g' is the stem g3 for operating said valve, said stem extending through the packing-nut g4. Rigid with the lower end of the stem g3 is a pin g5, said pin projecting laterally from the stem and engaging a track-cam carried by the sector-rack F. This cam consists of two elevated operating portions f3 f'L and three depressed or inoperative portions f5 f f7, located, respectively, at one end, the middle, and the other end of the sector.

With the parts arranged as above described and as illustrated in the drawings it will be seen that when the bowl is in the position shown in Figs. l and 2 no water can iiow to the chamber a2. Vhen the lever f is operated to rotate the bowl, the pin g5 rides up on the cam-surface f3, places the opening g2 of the valve g in register with the pipe G, and allows the water to enter the annular chamber Z2 and flush the bowl. A further operation of the lever to a vertical position inverts the bowl and at the same time cuts off the supply of water to iush the same, the pin g5 at this time falling into the depression f. If desired, the lever may be moved farther in the same direction, whereupon the operations above described will be repeated, eX- cept that the bowl will be entirely rotated and will be brought to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by the time that the pin g5 reaches the depression f7.

It will be seen from the above description that the bowl E constitutes, in effect, a valve which at all times cuts oli' communication between the discharge-pipe and sewer and the atmosphere of the house within which the closet is located. A projection @s may be formed on the bottom of the bowl for the reception of a sulfur candle, by means of which the bowl and the surrounding air may be disinfected.

In order to disinfect the bowl by means of electricity, I provide the following appliances. Extending through the trunnions of the bowl are the electrodes e* e5, which may be of carbon or other suitable material. e6 e7 designate packing material interposed between said electrodes and trunnions. H designates any convenient source of electricity, from which lead the conductors Z1. L, connected to the binding-screws /L2 h3. The bindingscrew Zis electrically connected with the lever f by means of the plate Za* and the lower portion of the plate C. Fastened to the plate C in suitable proximity of the trunnion e is a piece of board or similar non-conducting material L. Secured to this board is the metallic plate Z, having thereon the contact platesv or members Z Z2. 'The center of the plate Z is opposite the electrode et, and a screw Z3 conwhich enables the circuit to be made between said lever and the contact members Zl Z2. These contact members are so located as to enable the circuit to be made shortly after the institution of the dumping movement of the bowl from whichever side the lever may be operated, also shortly after the institution of the movement to right the bowl after it has been inverted. The screw ZL is electrically connected with the electrode c5 by means of a suitable conductor f, a metallic plate a3, and a screw ZL, extending from said metal plate to the electrode e5. If desired, the valve G' in the pipe Gr may be closed, and by employing a current of suflicient tension sparks may be passed between the electrodes e* e5, ozonizing the air, and thereby disinfecting the bowl and the adjacent atmosphere, or the valve G' may be left open and a current of suiflcient strength may be passed through the liquid in the bowl to destroy the germs in a well-known manner. The soluble salts contained in the feces will be suficient to render the liquid contained in the bowl susceptible of electro-l lytic decomposition. It' desired, the electrolytic apparatus may be placed out pf operation at any time by merely sliding the sleeve f2 up or down the lever f', so that it will no longer eng'age the contacts Z Z2.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that I have produced a closet that will effectively prevent the access of germ-laden odors from the waste-pipe and sewer to the atmosphere of the apartment in which the closet is situated, which is free from recesses or minute chambers for the breeding of microbes, which will automatically flush the bowl by the operation of the bowl-dumping means, and

which will automatically sterilize the contents of the bowl by the operation of said dumping meanso I'Vhile I have described my invention in de- '.ail, it will be apparent that such details may )e departed from without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not propose. :o be limited to such details except as they nay be included in the claimshereto annexed.

Having described my invention, I claim4 I. In a water-closet, the combination of a zasing, a rotary bowl within said casing, means for rotating' said bowl to empty the contents )f the same, means for electricallysterilizing )he contents of said bowl, said sterilizing means Jeing rendered operative by the operation of Lhe bowl-rotating means, substantially as described.

2. In a water-closet, the combination of a zasing, a bowl comprising' a valve mountedin `said casing and having' a chamber Vfor the reaeption of the feces, electrodes carried by said valve and projecting' into the chamber of the same for sterilizing the contents thereof, means Vfor operating said valve to discharge the contents thereof into the waste-pipe, and means operated by the valve-operating means to supply electric current to said electrodes, substantially as described.

3. VIn a water-closet, the combination of a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a rotary bowl in said casing between said inlet and outlet said bowl being provided with trunnions one of which extends through said casing' and is provided with a gear, electrodes extending' through said trunnions and projecting into the interior of said bowl, a gear for operating' the trunnion-gear, means for operating' said last-mentioned gear, said operating means forming part of an electric circuit including said electrodes and adapted by its movement to establish the circuit between said electrodes, substantially as described.

LI. In a water-closet, the combination of a casing having' an inlet and an outlet, a rotary bowl in said casing interposed between said inlet and outlet and constructed to cut olf communication therebetween, said bowl being provided with trunnions extending` through said casing, electrodes extending through said ti'unnions and projecting into the interior of the bowl, a pinion on one of said trunnions, a gear meshing' with said pinion to rotate the bowl, an operating-lever for said gear, an electric circuit including' a contact-plate, means electrically connecting said plate with one of said electrodes, an electric circuit including said operating-lever and contact-plate and the other electrode for sterilizing the contents of the bowl, the arrangement of parts being' such that the movement of the lever to rotate the bowl establishes the circuit throug'h said electrodes to sterili/.e the contents of said bowl, substantiaily as described.

In a water-closet, the combination of a casing', a valve in said casing having a chamber therein and constituting a bowl for thc reception of the feces, means for rotating said valve to discharge the contents thereof into the waste-pipe, means for automatically sterilizing the contents of the valve-chamber by the operation of the rotating means, and means also automatically operated by said valve-1'0- tating means for flushing the chamber thereof with water, substantially as described.

6. In a water-closet, the combination of a casing, ofa rotary bowl in said casing constructed to at all times sluit off communie:- tion between the waste-pipe of the closet and the space above said bowl, a trunnion on said bowl extending through said easing, a pinion on said trunnion, a sector-rack meshing' with said pinion,.said racl( being provided with a cam, means lfor operating said rack, a pipe for su )plying water to 'flush said bowl, a valve adapted by its movement to permit vater to iow through said pipe to llush said bowl, an operating-stem for said valve, and a pin carried by said stem and eng'aging' said cam, whereby the operation of the rack to rotate the bowl accomplishes the automatic flushing of said bowl, substantially as described.

7. In a water-closet, the combination of a easing, a rotary bowl fitting in said casing' and having an outer surface of polished glass, and means for sterilizing' the outer surface of said bowl, substantially as described.

8. In a water-closet, the combination of a casing, a rotary glass bowl fitting in said casing and having' its outer surface polished, a germicidal lubricant between said casing' and bowl, and additional means'forsterilizing the interior of said bowl, substantially as described.

9. ln a water-closet, the combination of a casing of glass having' the interior surface thereof polished, a rotary glass bowl litting said casing' and having' its outer surface pol ished, and a germicidal lubricant interposed between said bowl and said casing', substantially as described.

11'). A watercloset comprising a rotary bowl, the interior of said bowl beingof glass or similar material polished to provide a surface free from cavities, combined with means for electrically sterilizing the interior cavity of said bowl, substantially as described.

1l. In a water-closet the combination of a rotary bowl having a chamber therein for the reception of the feces, trunnions, electrodes projecting through said trunnions, and means Vfor supplying electric current to said electrodes, substantially as described.

19.. ln a water-closet, the combination of a bowl the interior surface of which is of polished g'lass, means for dumping said bowl, means for flushing said bowl, electrodes projecting' into the interior of said bowl near the bottom thereof, and means for supplying' electric current to said electrodes.

13. In a water-closet, the combination of a rotary bowl constructed to at all times cut otll communication between the waste-pipe and IOO In testimony whereof I hereunto alix my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

ANTONINO CIOLFI.

'/Vitnesses:

GEO. MELARAGNO, J. B. HULL. 

